This book is composed of medical instrument catalogues from Snowden and Brother (1860) and from John Weiss and Son of London, England (1863). In most instances the instruments are illustrated and described; in the case of Snowden and Brother, the prices of the instruments are also listed. The John Weiss and Son catalogue, while picturing the instruments, also provides information about their use.

The value of the volume is enhanced by an extensive introduction by James M. Edmonson, PhD, curator of the Dittrick Museum of Medical History of the Cleveland Medical Library Association and Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio. The 10-page introduction is of particular value to collectors as it explains the identification and documentation of Civil War instruments related to the medical technology of the time.